Shaanxi Kuaiban： Old Art, Young Blood陕西快板： 老艺术焕发新生

Shaanxi kuaiban is a traditional art form of storytelling in the Shaanxi dialect to the rhythm of bamboo clappers. It can be performed by a group or solo. The art form can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty. At first， the art was used by farmers to share their knowledge and earn money. But now， more people perform Shaanxi kuaiban on different occasions—for example， at festival celebrations， parties and art shows.

Yang Jinlong， 45， is an experienced Shaanxi kuaiban artist. He first learned the art at the age of 9. Before that， he often went with his father， an amateur performer， to watch kuaiban performances.

“As a young boy， I was attracted to the art form because many of the stories are about heroes. The performer tells stories while playing kuaiban， and its easy for the audience to remember the stories since all the lines rhyme，” Yang said.

陕西快板是一种用陕西方言配以打竹板的节奏讲故事的传统艺术形式。它可以由多人演出，也可以由单人演出。这种艺术形式可以追溯到清朝末期。起初，农民用这种艺术形式来分享他们的知识和赚钱。但现在，越来越多的人在节日庆典、聚会和艺术表演等不同的场合表演陕西快板。

45岁的杨金龙是一位经验丰富的陕西快板艺术家。他9岁开始学习这门艺术。在此之前，他经常和作为业余演员的父亲一起去看快板表演。

杨金龙说：“我还是一个小男孩时就被这种艺术形式所吸引，因为许多故事都是关于英雄的。表演者一边打快板一边讲故事，因为所有的台词都押韵，所以很容易让观众记住那些故事。”

Yang has practiced Shaanxi kuaiban for more than 30 years. Since 2003， he has been teaching the art form to young people. On weekdays， he teaches students about Shaanxi kuaiban in primary and middle schools in Xian. On the weekends， he teaches for six hours each day at art education institutions in Xian.

Yang has made some adaptations to the art form to relate more to students. When he tells modern stories， Yang abandons the traditional gown and wears a suit. He also integrates many pop elements like tap dance， ballet， jazz dance and popular music into kuaiban performances. His stories focus on more trendy topics， like stories of people who have worked to alleviate poverty， as well as the Chinese Olympic team.

“Art education is important for students in China. Just as many students learn to play Western musical instruments like the piano and violin， there are many people learning traditional Chinese folk arts， including Shaanxi kuaiban. They are committed and passionate，” Yang said.

杨金龙说唱陕西快板已经30多年了。自2003年以来，他一直在向年轻人传授这门艺术。工作日，他在西安的中小学校教学生关于陕西快板的知识。周末，他每天在西安的艺术教育机构上6个小时的课。

杨金龙对陕西快板做了一些调整，以便与学生产生更多的联系。在讲述现代故事时，杨金龙脱下了传统的长袍，穿上了西装。他还将踢踏舞、芭蕾舞、爵士舞、流行音乐等流行元素融入快板表演中。他的故事关注的是更时尚的话题，比如致力于扶贫的人物故事，以及中国奥运代表队的故事。

杨金龙说：“艺术教育对中国学生来说很重要。就像很多學生学习钢琴、小提琴等西方乐器一样，也有很多人学习中国传统民间艺术，包括陕西快板。他们既坚定又热情。”

Word Bank

amateur /'?m?t?/ adj. 业余的

integrate /'?nt?ɡre?t/ v. 加入;融入

They have not made any effort to integrate with the local community.

committed /k?'m?t?d/ adj. 坚定的;尽心尽力的

passionate /'p???n?t/ adj. 热诚的;狂热的